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Sonja Kurtz #1
Делта
Наемничката убиец Соня Курц е в играта! Курц е бивш войник, ангажирана за рискована, но деликатна работа – убийството на президента на Зимбабве. Още в зародиш виртуозният й план е провален и опитът пропада. На Курц не й остава нищо друго освен да се притаи на спасителното си място край делтата на Окаванго в сърцето на Ботсвана. Скрита в сенките, Соня се оказва свидетел на предстоящото опустошение на делтата. В опит да спре разрушителните действия, които ще унищожат крехката мрежа от водни басейни, тя се оказва в ролята на „еко командо“. Скоро, оплетена в мрежа от интриги, младата жена осъзнава, че заплахата за живота й е толкова голяма, колкото тази, която остава зад гърба й. Разкъсана е и в чувствата си между бившия си любовник Мартин Стийл, командир на наемниците и природозащитника Сам Чапман. Вместо да избяга от своето жестоко минало, Соня се намира сред мъже, които желаят да се възползват от професионалния й инстинкт на убиец. Тя е във вихъра на една безпощадна война… Делтата не е единствената, която се бори за оцеляване…
500 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 16, 2024
The first book in the Sonja Kurtz series, The Delta takes place mainly in Botswana and Namibia. Apart from featuring Kurtz, one of the most accomplished former soldiers not working as a mercenary, the story discusses the potential devastating consequences of damming the Okavango River, both for the wildlife and the Caprivi people who live downstream.
When we first meet Sonja she’s in the process of carrying out an attempted assassination of the president of Zimbabwe. It’s an attempt that goes spectacularly wrong owing to the fact she’s been set up and it’s only due to her extensive training and cunning that she’s able to escape the trap. She has no choice but to head for the safety of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
A plan has been hatched by a bunch of local rich landowners with the help of an outside mercenary commander to save the delta. It’s an audacious plan that’s filled with danger and requires personnel who know their way around illegal incursions and explosives. As it happens, one of the landowners is Sterling Smith, a local safari manager and the mercenary commander is Martin Steele. Both Sterling and Martin have a history with Sonja and she’s roped into taking an active part in the plan.
Also in the area is a wildlife documentary crew from the US who are putting together a series featuring their main man ‘Coyote’ Sam Chapman. Think Bear Grylls, I guess. After Sam is rescued by Sonja after a poorly thought out solo survival expedition goes awry he and a few of the more obnoxious members of his crew, come along for the ride to visit the dam under the pretense of creating a promotional piece to present to the world.
This introduction to the unstoppable force that is Sonja Kurtz is filled with full-on action sequences that barely gives you time to catch your breath. She presents as a highly competent killer who is well versed in survival in the African wilderness. She’s also no-nonsense who doesn’t suffer fools gladly which appears to augur very badly for ‘Coyote’ Sam. But through all this we catch her more vulnerable side and gain a more complete understanding of the motives behind her mercenary actions.
As usual, Tony Park provides us with a highly informative picture of the countries in which his story is set. Drought, selfish governments looking after only local interests and the effects of climate change are all key issues that have a huge impact on this part of Namibia and Botswana. His in-depth knowledge of the region shines through and plays an important part in bringing this action thriller to life.
As with all action thrillers, though, there are many sequences that push the boundaries of believability. That being said, this is an endlessly entertaining story that provides numerous running gun battles, unexpected double crosses and deadly twists that completely change the course of the plot. And it all flies by at an incredible pace.
There’s a lot to like here and definitely whets the appetite to come back for more to see what Sonja Kurtz is going to do next.
When we first meet Sonja she’s in the process of carrying out an attempted assassination of the president of Zimbabwe. It’s an attempt that goes spectacularly wrong owing to the fact she’s been set up and it’s only due to her extensive training and cunning that she’s able to escape the trap. She has no choice but to head for the safety of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
A plan has been hatched by a bunch of local rich landowners with the help of an outside mercenary commander to save the delta. It’s an audacious plan that’s filled with danger and requires personnel who know their way around illegal incursions and explosives. As it happens, one of the landowners is Sterling Smith, a local safari manager and the mercenary commander is Martin Steele. Both Sterling and Martin have a history with Sonja and she’s roped into taking an active part in the plan.
Also in the area is a wildlife documentary crew from the US who are putting together a series featuring their main man ‘Coyote’ Sam Chapman. Think Bear Grylls, I guess. After Sam is rescued by Sonja after a poorly thought out solo survival expedition goes awry he and a few of the more obnoxious members of his crew, come along for the ride to visit the dam under the pretense of creating a promotional piece to present to the world.
This introduction to the unstoppable force that is Sonja Kurtz is filled with full-on action sequences that barely gives you time to catch your breath. She presents as a highly competent killer who is well versed in survival in the African wilderness. She’s also no-nonsense who doesn’t suffer fools gladly which appears to augur very badly for ‘Coyote’ Sam. But through all this we catch her more vulnerable side and gain a more complete understanding of the motives behind her mercenary actions.
As usual, Tony Park provides us with a highly informative picture of the countries in which his story is set. Drought, selfish governments looking after only local interests and the effects of climate change are all key issues that have a huge impact on this part of Namibia and Botswana. His in-depth knowledge of the region shines through and plays an important part in bringing this action thriller to life.
As with all action thrillers, though, there are many sequences that push the boundaries of believability. That being said, this is an endlessly entertaining story that provides numerous running gun battles, unexpected double crosses and deadly twists that completely change the course of the plot. And it all flies by at an incredible pace.
There’s a lot to like here and definitely whets the appetite to come back for more to see what Sonja Kurtz is going to do next.
February 20, 2022
A promising start to an action/adventure/thriller series, set in southern Africa. What sets this story apart is that the main character is a female mercenary. Entertaining, but overly long. Sonja gets so much back story that the only way to capitalise on the time spent, will be to continue the series. And I probably will! The big battle at the end had me skimming a bit. Not being familiar with the weaponry or military transport, it was hard to visualise what was going on. But the plot had plenty of twists and turns and I really appreciated the strong sense of location and schooling on the plight of the Caprivi tribes.
Although I read this book for Botswana, it would work equally well for Namibia.
Although I read this book for Botswana, it would work equally well for Namibia.
July 15, 2015
I loved it. I mean really loved it. Loved it like-a-fangirl-and-tweeted-the-author kind of loved it.
Why did I love it so much? Honestly I don't know where to start, but I'll start with Sonja.
Sonja Kurtz - a realistic female alpha who can kick ass like Jean-Claude Van Damm with guns, do stealth like Predator and keep it real like Ripley. She is my hero, she's real, and to just top it off, she's a mother as well.
It is entirely possible I have my first fictional girlcrush since Anita Blake Vampire Hunter (the early books).
Sonja is a mercenary, paid to kick butt and then get the hell out, and she does such a superb job... most of the time. Other times she stuffs up, or people stuff it up for her but she can go Mcgyver like the best of them. Seriously if you're looking for a strong female character, you must not go past this book.
Sam Chapman - I loved him. He was gorgeous in every sense of the word, and when he was alone in the shower at Zakanaksa ...well... that was probably one of the hottest scenes I've read in a long time, and he's a great unexpected hero.
Sonja and Sam's stories entwine in vivid, spectacular detail in the stunningly portrayed landscapes of Botswana and Namibia. The author Tony Park should be commended for his amazing portrayal of Africa, it's rich, it's vibrant and utterly magnificent. The book is worth reading for the descriptions of the countryside alone.
I really cannot wax lyrical enough about this book. It is a great action adventure novel, with a sprinkle of romance and plenty of on the edge of your seat thrills. Just to top off its magnificence there is a sequel coming out later in 2015... which is now on the top of my TBR pile.
Go... Read it... NOW!
Why did I love it so much? Honestly I don't know where to start, but I'll start with Sonja.
Sonja Kurtz - a realistic female alpha who can kick ass like Jean-Claude Van Damm with guns, do stealth like Predator and keep it real like Ripley. She is my hero, she's real, and to just top it off, she's a mother as well.
It is entirely possible I have my first fictional girlcrush since Anita Blake Vampire Hunter (the early books).
Sonja is a mercenary, paid to kick butt and then get the hell out, and she does such a superb job... most of the time. Other times she stuffs up, or people stuff it up for her but she can go Mcgyver like the best of them. Seriously if you're looking for a strong female character, you must not go past this book.
Sam Chapman - I loved him. He was gorgeous in every sense of the word, and when he was alone in the shower at Zakanaksa ...well... that was probably one of the hottest scenes I've read in a long time, and he's a great unexpected hero.
Sonja and Sam's stories entwine in vivid, spectacular detail in the stunningly portrayed landscapes of Botswana and Namibia. The author Tony Park should be commended for his amazing portrayal of Africa, it's rich, it's vibrant and utterly magnificent. The book is worth reading for the descriptions of the countryside alone.
I really cannot wax lyrical enough about this book. It is a great action adventure novel, with a sprinkle of romance and plenty of on the edge of your seat thrills. Just to top off its magnificence there is a sequel coming out later in 2015... which is now on the top of my TBR pile.
Go... Read it... NOW!
March 13, 2011
Brilliant! Made me cry - twice.
Move over Wilbur Smith, Tony Park is here and he's a better writer.
Move over Wilbur Smith, Tony Park is here and he's a better writer.
September 6, 2021
Good story.
June 4, 2011
The Delta is Tony Parks 7th novel set in the African continent. The story focuses on Sonja Kurtz, an African born ex British army soldier turned mercenary. Sonja is forced to run after failing in an assignation attempt on the president of Zimbabwe. She is wounded and seeks help near her childhood home in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The Delta holds many special memories for Sonja and she looks forward to meeting her first love, Stirling Smith, now a safari manager in the park where she grew up. Things don’t quite go as smoothly as she had hoped, because Sterling is involved, along with some other rich land owners, with a plot to save the Delta from a massive ecological disaster.
Throw into the mix another old lover in Martin Steele her mercenary commander and the handsome (but American) wildlife documentary presenter "Coyote" Sam Chapman, and you’ve got a recipe for some great romance, action and adventure.
If you like reading books set in Africa by Deon Meyer, Wilbur Smith and have read other books by Tony Park, I guarantee you will love this story. Sonja is one tough cookie who, although at one with the African bush, still manages to create some serious explosion and maximum mayhem!
Throw into the mix another old lover in Martin Steele her mercenary commander and the handsome (but American) wildlife documentary presenter "Coyote" Sam Chapman, and you’ve got a recipe for some great romance, action and adventure.
If you like reading books set in Africa by Deon Meyer, Wilbur Smith and have read other books by Tony Park, I guarantee you will love this story. Sonja is one tough cookie who, although at one with the African bush, still manages to create some serious explosion and maximum mayhem!
September 13, 2014
Thanks to First Reads Giveaway, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this thrilling novel. The story begins with an exciting roadside assassination attempt and then takes the reader on an adventure through Namibia's Caprivi Strip and Botswana.
The novel is part adventure/travel novel, part political thriller. I learned a lot about southern Africa because of this story. I frequently found myself googling searches about dams, plants, bees, birds, and mammals--the descriptions of these subjects are so vivid! I frequently kept my laptop handy as I sat down to read each night.
The characters are authentic; and I found the lead character, a native African-turned mercenary (Sonja), to be complicated and compelling. And then you have the American wildlife documentary host and crew who bring humor and stark contrast to the other savvy natives who are woven into the intriguing, twisting plot.
Before I received this novel, I had never heard of Tony Park. This won't be the last novel I read by him, that's for sure!
The novel is part adventure/travel novel, part political thriller. I learned a lot about southern Africa because of this story. I frequently found myself googling searches about dams, plants, bees, birds, and mammals--the descriptions of these subjects are so vivid! I frequently kept my laptop handy as I sat down to read each night.
The characters are authentic; and I found the lead character, a native African-turned mercenary (Sonja), to be complicated and compelling. And then you have the American wildlife documentary host and crew who bring humor and stark contrast to the other savvy natives who are woven into the intriguing, twisting plot.
Before I received this novel, I had never heard of Tony Park. This won't be the last novel I read by him, that's for sure!
November 28, 2011
Sonja Kurtz is a mercenary. Born in what was then known as South-West Africa and forced to flee to neighbouring Botswana during a war, Sonja eventually left Africa for England, joining her mother who had also left Africa to return to the country of her birth. Sonja joined the British Army and served as a soldier and after that became employed by a private company who provide ‘solutions’ to difficult situations.
After a failed assassination attempt on the President of Zimbabwe in which she is double crossed, Sonja is stranded in Africa with all sorts of dangerous people after her. She heads for the only place she feels she might be safe – her childhood home in the heart of Botswana. She’s looking forward to catching up with Sterling Smith, now running the same safari camp her father did many years ago. He’s the man she left behind 20 years ago when she wanted to see the world and do something with herself. Tired of always running, she thinks that settling down in Botswana with Sterling and leaving the mercenary life behind is ideal.
When she arrives, she learns that in Namibia the Government is damming the Okavango and using a hydro-electric scheme to provide the nation with electricity and clean drinking water. This will mean disaster for those downstream of the Okavango in ‘the Delta’ – both the wildlife that rely on it and the country of Botswana, situated where the water empties into a swamp. The damming further upstream will reduce the flow to a trickle, affecting countless numbers of wildlife, already struggling through a drought, and many people in Botswana. At Sterling’s lodge there is currently a consortium of interested parties looking for a way to stop the hydro-electric scheme taking place. Most peaceful avenues have been exhausted and so one of the members, who owns hunting lodges, have called in Martin Steele, the owner of Corporate Solutions….and Sonja’s boss.
Then there’s Sam Chapman, known as ‘Coyote Sam’, a wildlife documentary presenter who is staying at Sterling’s lodge just prior to filming a wildlife documentary in Botswana. When something happens to his production crew and he is unable to contact them, he is stranded in the desert, until Sonja Kurtz comes along. From there, Coyote Sam is also drawn into the plans that Martin Steele has to stop the dam – and Martin needs Sonja to pull them off.
Sonja loves Africa. It’s her home and she grew up here. Now she wants to leave this life behind and settle down, but Martin has always known how to manipulate her so that he gets what he wants. Sonja knows that the money she’ll get from taking part in this plan will set her up for life and she will be able to walk away. But as the event draws closer she begins to realise that she doesn’t know who she can trust – and this might be her last job for Corporate Solutions for other reasons. Someone wants her dead.
After reading Tony Parks most recent novel, African Dawn just a couple weeks ago, I wanted to check out more. I also needed a few more books set in Africa for my Global Reading challenge so I requested a couple in from my local library. The Delta arrived first and I read it in just under two days.
The opening is awesome – we’re introduced to Sonja, who is staked out along a lonely road waiting for the President of Zimbabwe’s road convoy so that she can assassinate him. It all goes haywire and she is stranded alone and hunted in the desert with only a couple of weapons and her wits to get her to a place of safety. She heads to her childhood home in Botswana, searching out safety and her former sweetheart but she finds quite a few nasty surprises along the way.
In another plot, ‘Coyote Sam’ is sort of a Bear Grylls type. He makes his living being dropped into remote locations with a tent and a few supplies and then has to survive until the production crew arrive to get him. Usually there are a few ‘surprises’ along the way for him, such as the time he was given a box of matches with all the heads cut off. When he cannot reach his production crew after spending a couple of nights in the desert, he begins to get worried. This is the worst surprise of all.
These two tie together when Sonja rescues Sam and brings him with her to the safari camp and they find Martin Steele there co-ordinating an attack on the dam. As the film crew are going to film it for their documentary, he sends Sonja along to gather information to further aid them. Despite the fact that the dam is well patrolled and protected after a previous failed attack, Martin has a very viable plan that Sonja knows she can pull off.
Although a fiction novel, The Delta is loosely based (very loosely) in reality. There has been a plan presented by the Namibians to dam the Okavango in the Caprivian region, but this has not proceeded due to environmental concerns about the wildlife and plantlife that would be destroyed in the Delta in Botswana, not to mention how it would affect the Botswana population once the water flow was severely restricted, or even began to dry up. The Delta is the source of a lot of Botswana’s tourism, with safari and hunting lodges operating within it. Angola, Namibia and Botswana, the three countries through which the river flows, are all signatorees to an agreement on how best to share the resources
As well as providing information on the river, the wildlife that it provides for and the people, The Delta also provides a little knowledge about the country now known as Namibia and the politics of southern Africa. It’s by no means a huge part of the story, it’s more to support the plots and there’s just enough information so that you feel informed and know what you’re reading about but not too much that you get bogged down in it, given the myriad of changes in names and governments that a lot of countries in Africa have been through.
The Delta is fast-paced and full of action over the 480-odd pages with never a slow point in the plot. Sonja, despite her often-cold personality is still likable because of her struggle to be doing the right thing by someone important to her and her upbringing which has helped shape the person she is, not to mention the tragedies she has encountered in her adult life, mostly through her dangerous work. Her love of Africa and her home was evident throughout the whole book – Africa seems to inspire a deep loyalty and love in people, no matter what part of it they are from.
The Delta was a great read – this is what I expected of African Dawn but it didn’t quite meet my expectations! I really enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to my next Tony Park book. My only quibble? That it’d cost much more than $2 million dollars for a viable assassination attempt on Robert Mugabe!
After a failed assassination attempt on the President of Zimbabwe in which she is double crossed, Sonja is stranded in Africa with all sorts of dangerous people after her. She heads for the only place she feels she might be safe – her childhood home in the heart of Botswana. She’s looking forward to catching up with Sterling Smith, now running the same safari camp her father did many years ago. He’s the man she left behind 20 years ago when she wanted to see the world and do something with herself. Tired of always running, she thinks that settling down in Botswana with Sterling and leaving the mercenary life behind is ideal.
When she arrives, she learns that in Namibia the Government is damming the Okavango and using a hydro-electric scheme to provide the nation with electricity and clean drinking water. This will mean disaster for those downstream of the Okavango in ‘the Delta’ – both the wildlife that rely on it and the country of Botswana, situated where the water empties into a swamp. The damming further upstream will reduce the flow to a trickle, affecting countless numbers of wildlife, already struggling through a drought, and many people in Botswana. At Sterling’s lodge there is currently a consortium of interested parties looking for a way to stop the hydro-electric scheme taking place. Most peaceful avenues have been exhausted and so one of the members, who owns hunting lodges, have called in Martin Steele, the owner of Corporate Solutions….and Sonja’s boss.
Then there’s Sam Chapman, known as ‘Coyote Sam’, a wildlife documentary presenter who is staying at Sterling’s lodge just prior to filming a wildlife documentary in Botswana. When something happens to his production crew and he is unable to contact them, he is stranded in the desert, until Sonja Kurtz comes along. From there, Coyote Sam is also drawn into the plans that Martin Steele has to stop the dam – and Martin needs Sonja to pull them off.
Sonja loves Africa. It’s her home and she grew up here. Now she wants to leave this life behind and settle down, but Martin has always known how to manipulate her so that he gets what he wants. Sonja knows that the money she’ll get from taking part in this plan will set her up for life and she will be able to walk away. But as the event draws closer she begins to realise that she doesn’t know who she can trust – and this might be her last job for Corporate Solutions for other reasons. Someone wants her dead.
After reading Tony Parks most recent novel, African Dawn just a couple weeks ago, I wanted to check out more. I also needed a few more books set in Africa for my Global Reading challenge so I requested a couple in from my local library. The Delta arrived first and I read it in just under two days.
The opening is awesome – we’re introduced to Sonja, who is staked out along a lonely road waiting for the President of Zimbabwe’s road convoy so that she can assassinate him. It all goes haywire and she is stranded alone and hunted in the desert with only a couple of weapons and her wits to get her to a place of safety. She heads to her childhood home in Botswana, searching out safety and her former sweetheart but she finds quite a few nasty surprises along the way.
In another plot, ‘Coyote Sam’ is sort of a Bear Grylls type. He makes his living being dropped into remote locations with a tent and a few supplies and then has to survive until the production crew arrive to get him. Usually there are a few ‘surprises’ along the way for him, such as the time he was given a box of matches with all the heads cut off. When he cannot reach his production crew after spending a couple of nights in the desert, he begins to get worried. This is the worst surprise of all.
These two tie together when Sonja rescues Sam and brings him with her to the safari camp and they find Martin Steele there co-ordinating an attack on the dam. As the film crew are going to film it for their documentary, he sends Sonja along to gather information to further aid them. Despite the fact that the dam is well patrolled and protected after a previous failed attack, Martin has a very viable plan that Sonja knows she can pull off.
Although a fiction novel, The Delta is loosely based (very loosely) in reality. There has been a plan presented by the Namibians to dam the Okavango in the Caprivian region, but this has not proceeded due to environmental concerns about the wildlife and plantlife that would be destroyed in the Delta in Botswana, not to mention how it would affect the Botswana population once the water flow was severely restricted, or even began to dry up. The Delta is the source of a lot of Botswana’s tourism, with safari and hunting lodges operating within it. Angola, Namibia and Botswana, the three countries through which the river flows, are all signatorees to an agreement on how best to share the resources
As well as providing information on the river, the wildlife that it provides for and the people, The Delta also provides a little knowledge about the country now known as Namibia and the politics of southern Africa. It’s by no means a huge part of the story, it’s more to support the plots and there’s just enough information so that you feel informed and know what you’re reading about but not too much that you get bogged down in it, given the myriad of changes in names and governments that a lot of countries in Africa have been through.
The Delta is fast-paced and full of action over the 480-odd pages with never a slow point in the plot. Sonja, despite her often-cold personality is still likable because of her struggle to be doing the right thing by someone important to her and her upbringing which has helped shape the person she is, not to mention the tragedies she has encountered in her adult life, mostly through her dangerous work. Her love of Africa and her home was evident throughout the whole book – Africa seems to inspire a deep loyalty and love in people, no matter what part of it they are from.
The Delta was a great read – this is what I expected of African Dawn but it didn’t quite meet my expectations! I really enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to my next Tony Park book. My only quibble? That it’d cost much more than $2 million dollars for a viable assassination attempt on Robert Mugabe!
January 1, 2022
Intense, suspenseful thriller set in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Tony Park provides an insight into the psychology, the politics and the environment of Southern Africa like a few other authors.
August 2, 2011
The Delta is the 7th fiction novel by Tony Park. Once again set in Africa, the main character this time is a female mercenary, Sonja Kurtz. After an attempt to assassinate the President of Zimbabwe goes wrong, Sonja escapes to Botswana. There she intends to look up her first love, Stirling Smith, at the safari lodge he still manages. Against her better judgement, her boss, Martin Steele, involves her in a plot to help the Caprivi Liberation Army and to blow up the newly-constructed Okavango Dam which appears to be destroying the Okavango Delta. Throw into the mix American actor “Coyote” Sam Chapman and his World Wildlife film crew, and you have a great story.
I was interested to read and review this book for several reasons. I have read other books by Park, but the main characters have always been men, so I was interested to see how he dealt with a woman in that spot (very well!). I was also interested because it was set in Botswana. I am a very big fan of a particular series by a male author, also set in Botswana, where the main character is also a woman. Alexander McCall-Smith manages to portray Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi so well in his No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series that readers could be forgiven for thinking the author was female. This book, however, is a world away from that series!
Park’s dialogue is authentic, the descriptions are highly evocative, the plot has plenty of twists and turns, and the characters are quite believable, although many are not what they first seem. There are some delightful turns of phrase. Park even manages to have the reader sympathetic with a hired assassin! There is lots of action, quite a bit of violence and an exciting finish with a laugh-out-loud last line. Park’s first-hand knowledge of Africa is evident in every line of text and his love of the African landscape and many of her people is very obvious. Unlike James Patterson’s superficial offering, “Cross Country”, Tony Park’s books make you want to go to Africa to experience it for yourself. I am looking forward to his next work, African Dawn.
I was interested to read and review this book for several reasons. I have read other books by Park, but the main characters have always been men, so I was interested to see how he dealt with a woman in that spot (very well!). I was also interested because it was set in Botswana. I am a very big fan of a particular series by a male author, also set in Botswana, where the main character is also a woman. Alexander McCall-Smith manages to portray Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi so well in his No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series that readers could be forgiven for thinking the author was female. This book, however, is a world away from that series!
Park’s dialogue is authentic, the descriptions are highly evocative, the plot has plenty of twists and turns, and the characters are quite believable, although many are not what they first seem. There are some delightful turns of phrase. Park even manages to have the reader sympathetic with a hired assassin! There is lots of action, quite a bit of violence and an exciting finish with a laugh-out-loud last line. Park’s first-hand knowledge of Africa is evident in every line of text and his love of the African landscape and many of her people is very obvious. Unlike James Patterson’s superficial offering, “Cross Country”, Tony Park’s books make you want to go to Africa to experience it for yourself. I am looking forward to his next work, African Dawn.
September 1, 2014
Exciting! Thanks to Goodreads, I've added another author to my "must read" list. "The Delta" is a wonderful thriller with a strong, intelligent, logical woman; Sonja. She is a mercenary, a product of her childhood upbringing in Africa. Through Park's writing, it's a page turner that educates about the history, the geography, politics, government, personal agendas, and greed without being pedantic. We follow Sonja and Sam (a TV /wildwoods survivor) in the struggle between oppression, greed, and "progress". I was captivated throughout the entire book and appreciated the acknowledgements page as well as the map. My personal struggle is with some reviews here on Goodreads that described Sonja as "cold" and "tough"... I know that in books that have sociopathic males they are not described in such terms. It seems strange (to me) that a strong woman who uses logic and also affirms her sexuality, her nurturance towards her daughter, is described this way. Loved the book, will read more by Tony Park.
November 1, 2015
I love how the author wove into the story vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of the African bush. It really put the reader there.
I feel like I got to know Sonja better than any character I've ever read in a single book. She is a very complicated person, and the author carefully laid out her history, emotions and personality in a very convincing way.
Sam, on the other hand, I had a hard time with. In the course of the book I couldn't figure out if he was supposed to a buffoon of a TV personality, a shallow hunk for comic relief, or a person with the backbone to be a hero.
The plot is extensive and complicated, but the author pulls it off with a nice pace; the story moves along nicely. The battle scenes were so well written that it was easy to follow the complicated action. The scene with Sonja's father dying just as they are finally reconciled was a little predictable, but it was written very believably.
I feel like I got to know Sonja better than any character I've ever read in a single book. She is a very complicated person, and the author carefully laid out her history, emotions and personality in a very convincing way.
Sam, on the other hand, I had a hard time with. In the course of the book I couldn't figure out if he was supposed to a buffoon of a TV personality, a shallow hunk for comic relief, or a person with the backbone to be a hero.
The plot is extensive and complicated, but the author pulls it off with a nice pace; the story moves along nicely. The battle scenes were so well written that it was easy to follow the complicated action. The scene with Sonja's father dying just as they are finally reconciled was a little predictable, but it was written very believably.
May 1, 2011
Sonja Kurtz is a mercenary. She travels after a failed asassination attempt on Mugabie, to her former home, a safari park in Nimibia,where she hopes to rekindle an old relationship. On the way, on horseback, she rescues "Coyote" Sam Chapman who has been abandoned in a TV reality show gone wrong. Enough said but there is a lot of shoot him ups, blowing up of a dam, hot sex, reconciliation with a reformed alchoholic father and rebellious daughter, political intrigue, greenie influences to culminate in ending up with somebody different to the original candidate!
September 15, 2013
Well it was an engaging read and easy to read. A book I would call "mash Potatoe in that it didn't make you think to hard - although it was a little about political conflict in Africa. The heroine was slightly unbelievable!! But no more so than James Bond really.
I would recommend it for holiday reading - especially if you are going to that area (Botswana/Namibia)
It would be a good teen read I think.
I would recommend it for holiday reading - especially if you are going to that area (Botswana/Namibia)
It would be a good teen read I think.
August 13, 2014
Set largely in Botswana, but this is not the genteel Botswana of Alexander McCall Smith nor is the heroine a traditionally built lady detective but a cross between Lara Croft and GI Jane, while some of the male characters are stereotypical sweat-stained refugees from a Wilbur Smith book.
November 5, 2012
I enjoyed the book, it really reminded me of Wilbur Smith who I am a big fan of. I did alway wonder if I really fully liked Sonja the lead character, however I think by the end I did!
It has certainly made me want to read some more of this authors work.
June 29, 2016
This book was painfully slow and boring. It was inundated with too many flashbacks, and political and historical details which really interrupted the flow of the story. The only parts I liked were the descriptions of animals and places I'd seen and visited on my trip to Africa last year. Yawn!
September 4, 2013
An action packed story featuring Sonja, an African born ex British army soldier turned mercenary. Well written and kept me wondering what would happen next.
January 18, 2013
Having been to Zimbabwe and other African countries I could relate to the some of the places and experiences the author describes.
February 28, 2013
Excellent read! Love all of his books!
October 23, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyed it was action packed couldn't put it Down
August 22, 2014
I won a free copy from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Program and think that it interesting. I would recommend it to everyone.
July 12, 2016
LOVED IT. I just wish Tony Park's books weren't so hard to find in the USA. This was my first of his and I am DESPERATE to read more!
September 5, 2014
I won a free copy from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway and would recommend it to everyone.
August 27, 2014
A ACTION SET STORY FULL OF SUSPENCE A GOOD READ THANKS TO GOODREADS FIRSTREADS FOR THE FREE BOOK
April 26, 2016
If the first 60% of the book was as fast moving as the last 40% it was worth 4 stars.
October 9, 2022
Sonja Kurtz, an ex-soldier turned mercenary, failed to assassinate the Zimbabwean President. She is now on the run and decides to head to the safety of the Okavango Delta in Botswana; her old home. She realises that this is her opportunity to rekindle her romance with Stirling Smith, her childhood sweetheart.
While travelling through the Delta, Sonja realises that her old home is in trouble. She learns that the Namibian Government is damming the river to create a hydro-electric scheme in order to create more clean water and electricity. This spells disaster for the animals and people who rely upon the river. At the safari camp where Stirling is, there is a group of people already plotting on how to get rid of the dam. Peaceful means haven’t worked, so the group calls in Martin Steele. He is the owner of Corporate Solutions - Sonja’s boss and old flame - and he wants Sonja to destroy the dam.
In the meantime, Sonja comes across Sam Chapman, aka Coyote Sam, camping in a tent. Sam is a tv presenter and is out in the Delta filming for an upcoming tv show. Sam looses contact with his production crew, gets stranded and gets in some trouble with some wildlife. Lucky for him, Sonja arrives and saves him. Sam gets drawn into the plans that Martin has to destroy the dam. But Sonja and Sam start to think this may not be a good idea…
—
What an opening chapter! First up you are introduced to Sonja who is getting ready to assassinate the President of Zimbabwe. I love that the lead is a female mercenary who seriously kicks ass. Like she is seriously brilliant and she is a single mother too! This is the first book in a series based around Sonja so I am intrigued to see what is in store for her. Also, the romance between Sonja and Sam is enthralling and I found myself cheering for them to stay together.
The plot had plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Towards the end of the book, it helps to have an understanding of military assets but it isn’t necessary. I did some Googling to understand what was being used just so I could really picture what was happening in the story. That isn’t always bad though, as I did learn some new things about military weapons and transportation.
As always, the way the African landscape is described paints a vivid picture that makes you want to go there right now. Like right now.
I’ll definitely be checking out more in the series. Thanks to Tony Park for sending me this book.
While travelling through the Delta, Sonja realises that her old home is in trouble. She learns that the Namibian Government is damming the river to create a hydro-electric scheme in order to create more clean water and electricity. This spells disaster for the animals and people who rely upon the river. At the safari camp where Stirling is, there is a group of people already plotting on how to get rid of the dam. Peaceful means haven’t worked, so the group calls in Martin Steele. He is the owner of Corporate Solutions - Sonja’s boss and old flame - and he wants Sonja to destroy the dam.
In the meantime, Sonja comes across Sam Chapman, aka Coyote Sam, camping in a tent. Sam is a tv presenter and is out in the Delta filming for an upcoming tv show. Sam looses contact with his production crew, gets stranded and gets in some trouble with some wildlife. Lucky for him, Sonja arrives and saves him. Sam gets drawn into the plans that Martin has to destroy the dam. But Sonja and Sam start to think this may not be a good idea…
—
What an opening chapter! First up you are introduced to Sonja who is getting ready to assassinate the President of Zimbabwe. I love that the lead is a female mercenary who seriously kicks ass. Like she is seriously brilliant and she is a single mother too! This is the first book in a series based around Sonja so I am intrigued to see what is in store for her. Also, the romance between Sonja and Sam is enthralling and I found myself cheering for them to stay together.
The plot had plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Towards the end of the book, it helps to have an understanding of military assets but it isn’t necessary. I did some Googling to understand what was being used just so I could really picture what was happening in the story. That isn’t always bad though, as I did learn some new things about military weapons and transportation.
As always, the way the African landscape is described paints a vivid picture that makes you want to go there right now. Like right now.
I’ll definitely be checking out more in the series. Thanks to Tony Park for sending me this book.
September 23, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three stars.
This book was moderately good for me. It started off well and I read the first 150 pages really quickly. After that I started feeling bogged down and really struggled with whether to continue reading it or not. I had to put it aside and read other books in the meantime to refresh my reading palate. I actually almost DNF’d this book before I finally convinced myself to get through it. I think this book could have been 100/150 pages shorter and still had all the important parts. I did like Sonja as a character. It’s always nice when there is a strong, kick ass independent female main character in a book. I also enjoyed the African setting. There isn’t a lot that I do know about those areas (I know a bit more about South Africa) so it was really interesting learning more about it and what it’s like there. I always like a book that I can read and learn something at the same time. There were other things that were just distasteful and I didn’t like. An example of this was the whole weird “relationship” between Emma and Martin Steele. I found it unrealistic and strange and it took me right out of the story because of this. I found I didn’t care too much about any of the characters really though. I wasn’t even that invested in the big end action scene. I was the most worried about poor Gideon and he is a tangential side character. I don’t know. I can’t exactly put my finger on what made this book an effort to get through for me. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great. It was somewhere in between. I think it was just the having to force myself to read the whole middle section. The quarter at the start and the quarter at the end was easier to get through.
Three stars.
This book was moderately good for me. It started off well and I read the first 150 pages really quickly. After that I started feeling bogged down and really struggled with whether to continue reading it or not. I had to put it aside and read other books in the meantime to refresh my reading palate. I actually almost DNF’d this book before I finally convinced myself to get through it. I think this book could have been 100/150 pages shorter and still had all the important parts. I did like Sonja as a character. It’s always nice when there is a strong, kick ass independent female main character in a book. I also enjoyed the African setting. There isn’t a lot that I do know about those areas (I know a bit more about South Africa) so it was really interesting learning more about it and what it’s like there. I always like a book that I can read and learn something at the same time. There were other things that were just distasteful and I didn’t like. An example of this was the whole weird “relationship” between Emma and Martin Steele. I found it unrealistic and strange and it took me right out of the story because of this. I found I didn’t care too much about any of the characters really though. I wasn’t even that invested in the big end action scene. I was the most worried about poor Gideon and he is a tangential side character. I don’t know. I can’t exactly put my finger on what made this book an effort to get through for me. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great. It was somewhere in between. I think it was just the having to force myself to read the whole middle section. The quarter at the start and the quarter at the end was easier to get through.
April 5, 2020
Loved it. Loved it. I started reading it while on one of my long haul flights to South Africa. I was hoping to finish it while I was there but sadly had to cut my trip short due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, so I was in my hometown less than a week.
This is book 1 of Sonja Kurtz series, so introduced to a whole new set of characters. I loved reading about the Okavango Delta and areas that we wish to visit in the near future. Being an ex South African and growing up in South Africa, now reading about the Caprivi Strip and how it fits into the whole area and the struggles was fascinating, as I only got to know about the area was that the South African army was heavily involved in the war there so many years ago.
I have got the rest of the series now and they are on my TBR pile. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
This is book 1 of Sonja Kurtz series, so introduced to a whole new set of characters. I loved reading about the Okavango Delta and areas that we wish to visit in the near future. Being an ex South African and growing up in South Africa, now reading about the Caprivi Strip and how it fits into the whole area and the struggles was fascinating, as I only got to know about the area was that the South African army was heavily involved in the war there so many years ago.
I have got the rest of the series now and they are on my TBR pile. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
December 24, 2022
THE DELTA
Sonja Kurtz series Book One
TONY PARK
Review by Author Roy Murry
THE DELTA is the second novel I have read by Mr. Park. The first is SAFARI. Both give a vivid background of Africa's wildlife, countries' topographies, and their people.
Sonja, a well-trained mercenary, is manipulated into a predicament by her boss and ex-lover. She has to do the unpredictable for millions, which will start a war. Will this event save the environment or make the rich richer plays a significant role in her decision?
The characters play an intriguing role that leads to compelling subplots that are the background of Sonja's main event. Unfortunately, these stories slowed down getting to the main event.
THE DELTA is a long read but worth the wait for the explosive and unconventional ending. The story is well written, as are all of Mr. Park's novels.
Sonja Kurtz series Book One
TONY PARK
Review by Author Roy Murry
THE DELTA is the second novel I have read by Mr. Park. The first is SAFARI. Both give a vivid background of Africa's wildlife, countries' topographies, and their people.
Sonja, a well-trained mercenary, is manipulated into a predicament by her boss and ex-lover. She has to do the unpredictable for millions, which will start a war. Will this event save the environment or make the rich richer plays a significant role in her decision?
The characters play an intriguing role that leads to compelling subplots that are the background of Sonja's main event. Unfortunately, these stories slowed down getting to the main event.
THE DELTA is a long read but worth the wait for the explosive and unconventional ending. The story is well written, as are all of Mr. Park's novels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews